This was us one year ago today
At that time we were cycling through our very last valley before rounding a corner to get our first glimpse of Ushuaia – our target, our goal, our destination.
It had been a long slog to get there. The most intense year of my life to plan and prepare for takeoff and then another three years steadily making our way south. For four long years we had been single-mindedly focused on that city; on the wooden sign by the town pier announcing we had reached the end of the world.
That day one year ago was amazing. It was the most incredibly phenomenal feeling to know we had reached our goal. We had dared to dream the impossible dream and had reached the unreachable star. It hadn’t always been easy, but had always been worthwhile.
But that day also signified the conclusion of a dream; a dream we had been unwaveringly fixated upon for years. We reached the end of the road and had no idea what came next. The whole world was our oyster, there was nothing we couldn’t do. But when the whole world is an option, how does one go about narrowing it down?
For months I wallowed in a tiny life raft in the middle of an ocean of possibilities. I drifted aimlessly, having no idea what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. After being so focused for so long, my brain had no idea how to deal with directionless wandering.
It’s funny now as I look back upon those months with the benefit of hindsight, but when I was there it wasn’t funny. It was uncomfortable and unsettling. It was frustrating and I felt like I had taken my head and crammed it into a blender set on high. Confusion reigned unchecked.
Time really is the master healer and, with enough time under my belt, a new vision began to emerge.
Every single day I received emails from people asking for advice and support in making their own dreams come true. I spent hours each day responding to them, encouraging them, doing my part to get them launched into their own unique dream. I guess I felt like I was finally able to give back just a tiny bit of the support we had received on the road.
One day I was introducing myself to a new member of a Facebook group I’m in and typed this: Hi! I’m Nancy. I spent many years gallivanting around the world living and teaching in various countries. Most recently I spent three years cycling from Alaska to Argentina with my husband and children. Now I find I’m happiest in my little house in Boise, Idaho encouraging others to live their dreams.
And then I stopped and reread what I had just posted.
Did I really just type that? Did that really come out of my fingers? Had I really identified my new passion? I think I did.
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It’s been a long year since we arrived at the end of the world in Ushuaia. All four of us have redesigned our lives into something completely different from what we had before we left.
Davy & Daryl have long enjoyed math and science and they’ve continued that passion with taking advanced courses through a special program here in Boise. They’ve also discovered a new hobby in robotics and just came back from the FIRST Robotics competition in Salt Lake City. Their team designed, built, and programmed a basketball-shooting robot. They’ve also gotten involved in Boy Scouts and enjoy their monthly campouts.
In addition to remodeling our new house, John has been working on creating a documentary film about our journey from Alaska to Argentina. It’s been a steep learning curve and I’m sure he’ll run into quite a few more obstacles before he’s done. At this point, he’s hoping not to return to the classroom.
I‘m also hoping not to return to teacher and have been working on writing a book about our PanAm experiences. I’ve morphed my blog into a tool to empower and encourage other to chase their dreams. My most recent major leap has been to start up a small business with a friend to do that more formally. I’ve also jumped back into the bead world and have been teaching some beadwork classes here in Boise.
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I’ve learned a few things from this whole reentry process in the meantime.
1) There’s no place like home
2) You have to leave home to understand that.
3) If you choose wisely what you’ll do with the next 24 hours, you’ll live a very happy life.
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Here are what I consider to be some of my best blog entries from this year:
March 2011
On Reaching the End of the Road
April 2011
Why I Cycled to the Ends of World
May 2011
Risk Assessment: A Personal Decision
June 2011
The Real Price of Quality of Life
July 2011
What We Learned in Three Years on the Road
Why Do Some People Live Their Dreams and Others Don’t?
August 2011
Baby Banning: What the No Kids Allowed Movement is Doing to Society
Response from Guinness World Records
What To Do When You Need to Go But There is No Toilet
September 2011
On Carrying Food and Water for Four Hungry Cyclists
An Up Close and Personal Look at the American Medical System
October 2011
5 Things to Remember if You Want to Reach the Unreachable Star
Bike Touring: Do You Really Need Waterproof Panniers?
Raising Kids in a Fear-Based Society
One Moment in Time; A Lifetime of Adventure
November 2011
Living the Dream: Making it Happen
Living with Less: What Can You Ditch?
50 Lessons I Wish I Had Learned Earlier
December 2011
Can Only the Wealthy Live Their Dream?
3 Attitudes You Need to Make Your Dream Come True
Living the Dream Won’t Come Easily
January 2012
You Get to Choose How You’ll Live Today: Take Advantage of It
Top Fears Holding You Back from Pursuing Your Passion
If Sailing Around the World Doesn’t Count as Education, What Does?
Dealing with Burnout During Long Term Travel
19 Tips to Help You Discover Your Passion and Live Your Dreams
February 2012
You Can Live the Extraordinary. Yes, You.
The Making of an Adventure Mom: A Look Back at 28 Years of Marching to a Different Drummer
French fries and chicken nuggets are travel essentials: The world’s worst family travel advice ever
March 2012
How to Finance Long-Term Travels (with advice from many bloggers)
I think I’ve discovered the key to long-term happiness. Yes, indeedy, I have.
I can’t believe it’s been a year already!… I love reading your blogs and I do find you very inspirational… keep them coming, please!! x
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:03 am
@Deni, Thank you Deni! I am really enjoying having my blog so won’t make it disappear any time soon!
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I can’t even imagine how difficult it would be to find a “new” life after your epic adventure, but it sounds like everyone is doing very well and doing things that make them happy. I would love to see the film about your adventures. Best of luck with the business, it sounds like a fantastic idea.
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:03 am
@Laurel, The hardest part was trying to figure out what we wanted. We could do anything, but how does one decide out of millions of options? It was crazy.
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Wow. That year has flown as I plod oh-so-slowly towards my tour of Australia ! Who knows………………………..1 day I might cycle right past your house lol
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:04 am
@Ian, I hope! Let me know when you’re coming through! The planning stage seems to plod along but you get there eventually.
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Really cool that you put together a log. Nice to see how everything is playing out.
You’re business is just another adventure. And it will do great!
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:05 am
@Justin, Thanks Justin! It’s so exciting to see this come together!
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Congrats on your big anniversary! I think it is fantastic that there is always another dream/goal…and yours at this moment gets to be staying cozy in one place!!
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:06 am
@Living Outside of the Box, It is interesting how there’s always something different to move on to, eh? I think too many people fall into the rut in whatever it is that they’re doing – whether that’s a job or travel. The key is to always reevaluate and see exactly what you want to do next.
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I remember EXACTLY where I was when I read that you’d finished!! I shouted the news to our whole house… including some cling on backpackers hanging around… who asked, “What? Who are they?” When I told them… they cheered too!!! SO PROUD of you guys… then and now… this past year has been at least as wonderful to watch. I’m so happy to be your partner in crime these days!
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:07 am
@Jenn Miller, YAY!! That day was so amazing! I’m loving partnering up with you – we’re good at crime
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Wow! Super cool… You guys are amazing. What an incredible end to an incredible journey. Thank you for writing!
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:08 am
@Lilibeth, Thank you Lilibeth! It really was an incredible day. What a feeling to finally reach Ushuaia after working on it for so long!
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A year since you’ve been back. I sometimes wonder what I will do when this dream, that I’ve been working so hard to achieve, comes to a close. I guess dreams morph and change over time. Dreams lead to new dreams that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
Thanks for the inspiration.
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Nancy Reply:
March 23rd, 2012 at 12:09 am
@Kim, I think the big thing is that dreams morph and change and doors open that you never knew existed. Just live consciously, making conscious choices every day, and it’ll lead you to your new dream! Exciting times for sure!
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